Naruto: The Primal Hyuga Pierces the Shinobi World

However, Shinichi has now figured out one thing: a living Nagato who is leaning towards Konoha might be more useful than a dead Nagato.

Shinichi's words made Jiraiya fall into deep thought. His original intention was to infiltrate the Land of Rain again and confront Nagato once more. He still hoped that his disciple could turn back.

However, Shinichi's opinion was also reasonable.

How do I choose?!

If Nagato is not able to negotiate as Shinichi expected, and if Nagato's "weak period" is missed today, it will be impossible to talk to the other party again.

At that moment, Jiraiya suddenly remembered the Great Toad Sage's prophecy about him.

The prophecy says that one day he will face a difficult choice. Is the current situation the choice he is destined to face?!

..........

Chapter 161: The Fourth Hokage Deploys! (Please Subscribe)

The choice was placed before Jiraiya: to stop there and return to the village with the captive Konan; or to return to Amegakure and make contact with Nagato again.

The former essentially placed their hopes on the Fourth Hokage, hoping that Minato Namikaze could successfully negotiate with Nagato after taking Konan prisoner. As for the outcome and direction, that was beyond Jiraiya's control and prediction.

The latter would inevitably face enormous risks upon returning to Amegakure, and Jiraiya did not know whether Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, had already revealed all his trump cards.

Even after defeating Pain, Jiraiya once thought that the enemy was no longer a threat, and that rash judgment almost cost him his life. If Orochimaru hadn't arrived in time, he would have died at that moment.

Then Nagato summoned a terrifying golem. Without the Flying Thunder God Technique to help him leave Amegakure, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape on his own.

According to their judgment, Nagato would inevitably become weak after summoning that golem, but these were just their guesses, and Jiraiya didn't know if Nagato had any other trump cards up his sleeve.

Correspondingly, Jiraiya and Shinichi Hyuga's techniques have already been exposed to Nagato, and if he returns to Amegakure, the enemy will inevitably be wary of their techniques.

The "first impression kill" attribute of the Flying Thunder God Technique is greatly diminished in front of Nagato.

From Shinichi Hyuga's words, Jiraiya could understand that the other party did not want to continue fighting, indicating that Shinichi Hyuga's assessment of the situation was "to give up".

However, upon closer reflection, Jiraiya felt somewhat unwilling. If he left now, it would give Nagato too much time to recover.

When they meet again, not only will Nagato be able to recover, but Pain will also be able to find a replacement. If Nagato is willing to negotiate, that will be fine. But if the other party is determined to harm Konoha, Konoha will definitely be in big trouble.

The losses could become incalculable.

Jiraiya was somewhat unsure about Nagato.

However, Shinichi Hyuga's assessment of the situation was completely different from Jiraiya's. Although he didn't know whether Nagato's mentality would change after today's events, there was one thing Shinichi Hyuga was certain of.

That means Nagato's strength will not be able to return to its peak as Jiraiya had anticipated.

Since using the Gedo Mazo, Nagato's chakra and life force have been decreasing with each use.

Shinichi Hyuga had already confirmed this with his Byakugan. Moreover, even without the Byakugan, Jiraiya would have been able to realize this if he had calmed down and thought things through.

When they first met, Nagato had already lost his ability to move, and his emaciated and weak appearance was not fake; it was the result of his life force being drained.

Ultimately, Nagato was not the master of the Rinnegan. Although his Uzumaki clan bloodline allowed him to control the Rinnegan to a certain extent, the price he had to pay was enormous.

Moreover, the Gedo Mazo is not something easy to control. It is the body of the Ten-Tails, and it's not that simple to control something like that.

In fact, from the day the Rinnegan awakened its power, Nagato's life had already entered its countdown.

With the immense depletion from this battle, Nagato had very little vitality left to exploit.

In Shinichi's view, such a person is unlikely to pose any threat to Konoha. His greatest role now is to protect the Rinnegan until the last moment of his life.

Shinichi Hyuga guessed that Obito Uchiha was probably still alive. As long as he was alive, he would try every means to win Nagato over to his side. His plan was to have Nagato use the Rinne Rebirth Technique on Madara Uchiha.

However, all of this is predicated on the premise that the masked man's identity is indeed Uchiha Madara! And on the premise that the Eye of the Moon Plan still has a chance of success.

Now that Akatsuki's existence has been exposed, and even Konan has been captured by Konoha, Nagato's life is gradually coming to an end.

At this moment, what was Nagato's deepest desire?

If Konoha promised to release Konan and offered to support her as the new leader of Amegakure after his death, would that be enough to calm Nagato's restless heart?

In Shinichi Hyuga's mind, all of this was negotiable.

Because he knew that Nagato had not completely "turned evil".

However, Shinichi Hyuga did not reveal his true thoughts to Jiraiya.

Although he is the heir of the Hyuga clan, in the end, he is merely a young heir of the Hyuga clan.

What seems like a contradictory statement is actually not contradictory at all.

This is a decision that could determine the future of Konoha, and regardless of the outcome, it is not something that Shinichi Hyuga can be held responsible for now.

As the Hokage's teacher, one of the Legendary Sannin, and also Nagato's teacher, Jiraiya was naturally qualified to make this decision.

"Whoosh whoosh-"

The rain gradually subsided, and a rustling sound came from the woods.

Jiraiya sat in front of the campfire, staring blankly at it. Just as he was feeling a bit lost, there was a sudden commotion inside the tent.

Xiao Nan, who was in a coma, gradually woke up and opened her eyes to an unfamiliar canopy.

Slowly rising to her feet, Xiao Nan coughed softly, then felt a wave of intense weakness wash over her. Those tending the campfire at the tent entrance heard the commotion inside and turned to look at Xiao Nan.

An unfamiliar Konoha ninja...

besides...

Konan's gaze swept over Kakashi, Shisui, and the others, lingering on Shinichi Hyuga for a moment before landing on Jiraiya.

At this point, she was already aware of her situation.

Konan's eyes suddenly turned cold, and just as she crossed her hands in front of her chest, she heard Shinichi Hyuga's clear, cold voice:

"Don't do anything unnecessary. Your chakra has been sealed by my Gentle Fist technique, so you can't use any spells."

"Unnecessary actions will only make your situation more difficult."

As he spoke, Shinichi Hyuga glanced at Jiraiya beside him, then turned away and said nothing more.

The rest is up to Jiraiya...

If even Konan, whose psychological defenses are relatively weak, can't be dealt with, then Jiraiya really doesn't need to worry about whether to return to Amegakure.

Hearing that Konan couldn't use ninjutsu, Kakashi and Guy lowered their guard. Shisui, seeing Konan soaking wet, silently poured her a cup of hot tea, then slowly got up, walked into the tent, and handed it to her.

"It's chilly, have a cup of tea."

Regardless of whether Konan refused, Shisui placed the tea on the small table next to Konan and then returned to the campfire.

A cool breeze blew into the tent, and Konan couldn't help but sneeze. Noticing Jiraiya's somewhat gentle gaze, she turned her head and stared blankly at the hot tea.

The rain was pattering outside the tent, and the white noise of the drizzle entering the forest, along with the soft crackling of the campfire, eased Xiao Nan's initial tension.

Gently picking up the teacup, feeling the warmth in her palm, Xiao Nan's eyes gradually lost focus, her thoughts drifting back to the past.

The most carefree period of her life was the time she spent learning from Jiraiya alongside Nagato, Yahiko, and the others.

Before this, she was a war orphan wandering the streets of the Land of Rain, relying on theft and scavenging for food and drink. But after they met Jiraiya, they had what they called a "home".

The wooden house that Jiraiya built was the anchor point for their hearts back then.

Although the Land of Rain experiences constant rain and a perpetually gloomy and cold weather, they always feel warmth whenever they return to that wooden house—something Minami never experienced during her childhood.

Even after Jiraiya left and Yahiko founded Akatsuki, those days were gone forever.

At this moment, holding the cup of hot tea in her palm, looking at Jiraiya's gentle gaze outside the tent, and listening to the rustling rain in the forest, Konan couldn't help but recall the many memories of living with Jiraiya together.

Perhaps only by completely losing her power and being in this environment could Xiao Nan's heart find peace. With her past experiences churning within her, Xiao Nan couldn't help but feel a strong sense of grievance.

"Jiraiya-sensei..."

Xiao Nan murmured softly, her eyes already brimming with tears.

"..."

Sensing Konan's emotions, Jiraiya sighed softly and said earnestly:

"I'm sorry... Xiao Nan."

"I wasn't there for you when your disciples needed you most..."

"Feel sorry..."

Jiraiya felt indebted to Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan, especially after learning about their experiences, this feeling of indebtedness became even stronger.

Jiraiya was a pure person, and when facing Konan, he didn't care about saving face and expressed the debt he felt in his heart.

Konan's emotions are extremely reserved. After waking up, she didn't talk much with Jiraiya. She just sat on the bed, somewhat absentmindedly watching Shinichi, Shisui, Kakashi, and the others interact.

The group was preparing food, and perhaps because the mission had made some progress, Shinichi and the others were chatting and laughing around the campfire.

This scene reminded Xiao Nan of the past.

Jiraiya didn't disturb Konan. He simply took out his dry clothes from his pack and placed them beside Konan. Then he closed half of the tent door to provide some cover.

Inside the tent, Konan took off her wet, auspicious cloud robe and changed into Jiraiya's dry kimono.

As a ninja, aside from her long robe, Konan was only wearing a quick-drying mesh shirt. After changing her clothes, the icy feeling of the rain soaking her clothes naturally disappeared, and an indescribable sense of warmth welled up in her heart.

Xiao Nan didn't leave the tent; she just sat quietly inside, reminiscing about the past.

The people outside the tent didn't intend to disturb Xiao Nan. The people inside were immersed in their memories, while those outside rested on their own.